Conventional makeup-removing compositions may be provided in various forms, for instance in the form of more or less fluid makeup-removing milks containing water, oils and surfactants, of foaming aqueous gels, or of oily compositions. Each of these galenic substances has advantages and disadvantages. Thus, the makeup-removing milks have the advantage of giving a pleasant sensation during application to the skin, of moisturizing the skin and of preserving the skin barrier, but they have the disadvantage of giving a more or less greasy feel, without freshness, and of leaving a film on the skin. The aqueous gels have the advantage of giving a good sensation of freshness, an immediate and persistent sensation of cleanness and a non-greasy feel, but they have the disadvantage of also giving a sensation of tightness (sticky quiet), and of being able to dry out the skin if use is too frequent. As for the makeup-removing oils, they have the advantage of moisturizing the skin, of preserving the skin barrier and of restoring the lipid balance of the skin, while being very effective for makeup removal, but they lack freshness, give a greasy feel and leave a greasy film on the skin.
To avoid the disadvantages of the prior art, compositions have been proposed which consist of two separate phases, especially an aqueous phase and an oily phase which are separate and not emulsified in each other at rest, which are generally referred to by the term “two-phase composition”. They differ from emulsions by the fact that, at rest, the two phases are separate instead of being emulsified in each other. The use of these two-phase compositions requires prior shaking in order to extemporaneously form an emulsion, the latter needing to be of sufficient quality and stability to allow the uniform application of the two phases onto the skin or keratin material onto which it is applied. At rest, the phases must separate rapidly and regain their initial state, this phenomenon being known more commonly by the term “phase separation”.
Two-phase compositions have already been described, for example in documents EP-A-370856 and EP-A-603080, especially for removing makeup from the eyes. These compositions have the advantage of being fresher upon application than the milks and the oily compositions, while being effective, and of not giving any sensation of tightness or irritation, while conferring softness on the skin. However, they have the disadvantage of not always giving a feeling of sufficient freshness and of not being easily removed.
The need therefore still remains for a two-phase composition which has excellent cosmetic qualities (softness, freshness, tolerance), and a very good efficacy both for makeup removal and for care.